Mythbusters Sends Cannonball Rocketing Through Homes

DUBLIN, Calif. (CBS) — A cast iron cannonball rocketed through two homes and landed inside a minivan Tuesday when a “Mythbusters” TV experiment went wrong.

Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage are hosts of the scientific experimentation show, which airs on The Discovery Channel. The pair was reportedly trying to figure out how fast a cannonball would travel, when it misfired and shot hundreds of feet in the air.

“This cannonball was supposed to go through several barrels of water and through a cinder block, and then ultimately into the side of the hill,” said J.D. Nelson of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department.

Instead the cannonball flew over the foothills surrounding Camp Parks Military Firing Reservation, before spiraling back toward Dublin like a cruise missile.

It flew straight though the front door of a home on Cassata Place, and bounced around like a pinball, flying up to the second floor before blasting through a back bedroom wall.

The wayward cannonball then blasted across a busy road and through a second home some 50 yards away, demolishing roof tiles.

The homeowner’s mother was frightened.

“”It was a very loud boom; she thought a tree fell, maybe a meteor,” said Ming Jiang. “It wasn’t clear that it was a cannonball landing on the roof.”

The out of control cannonball finally came to a stop inside Jasper Gill’s minivan.

“It hit the dash, through the passenger window,” said Gill, who had gotten out of the vehicle just 10 minutes before the ball struck. “I’m lucky I’m alive.”

Re: Mythbusters Sends Cannonball Rocketing Through Homes

Yesterday came news that the 'MythBusters' team had accidentally fired a 30-lbs cannonball through a house. Although on the face of it, it seemed like a pretty funny story, more details have since emerged that show how lucky local residents were to escape injury.

According to 'The San Francisco Chronicle,' the cannonball travelled straight through the Shetty family's house, exiting through the exterior wall of the master bedroom as mom Seema was napping in the room with her two year-old son. After traveling a total of 3,300 feet, the cannonball eventually came to rest in Satwinder Gill's minivan. She told ABC-7 News that "my husband and son were in the car five minutes before it happened."

'MythBusters' hosts Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage -- who were not present when the accident happened -- travelled to Dublin, California to meet with the families affected by the accident and to apologize. Savage told 'The San Francisco Chronicle,' "It's a wake-up call. Honestly, the feeling of embarrassment is not something we're indulging in right now. We feel for the families and the people affected by this."

He added, "Some people watch our show and think that we're reckless. Others watch our show and they see we take safety seriously. The fact is, the latter is the case."

Savage later tweeted: "Now it's back to SF, to meet and discuss how to keep this from ever happening again. Very intense. We're SUPER relieved no one was hurt."

The cannonball shot through the residential neighborhood when a 'Mythbusters' team including co-hosts Tory Belleci, Kari Byron and Grant Imahara were testing to see if a cannonball fired from a stone cannon would be capable of breaching a castle wall.

They were conducting the experiment on the firing range at the Alameda County Sheriff's Regional Training Center, a venue they have used many times before without mishap.

Hyneman told 'The San Francisco Chronicle' that, as the cannonball was fired, the cannon suffered from "muzzle lift," which sent the projectile arcing across Dublin. It bounced on the Shettys' driveway and passed through their house before crossing a six-lane road. It then bounced off the roof of a second home before smashing into Mrs. Gill's minivan.

Meanwhile, angry homeowner Hitha Shetty told the 'Chronicle' that residents should have been told the experiment was being staged nearby. He also hinted that he may sue: "The kids are usually playing there," he said. "I want to make sure this doesn't happen again. And, of course, they need to pay for this. Not just the physical damage, but everything else."

Speaking on behalf of the Alameda County Sheriff's Department, Sgt. J.D. Nelson told ABC-7 News: "[It's] Very unfortunate that it happened, very fortunate that no one got hurt." He added, "The range is shut down as of now, except for emergency detonations, until we can review all the policies and practices up there."

Meanwhile, angry homeowner Hitha Shetty told the 'Chronicle' that residents should have been told the experiment was being staged nearby.

DUDE!!! STFU & STFD! X-( You live nextdoor to a f*cking BOMB RANGE!!! :ohman: :nonono: How can you NOT understand that dangerous things are happening very close by???? Oh!...that's riiiiight! :ohman:...you're a freakin' IDIOT! :gstickle:

He also hinted that he may sue: "The kids are usually playing there," he said. "I want to make sure this doesn't happen again. And, of course, they need to pay for this. Not just the physical damage, but everything else."

F*ckin' no account slimeball!~X( WHAT exactly does he think he needs to be compensated for???? His mudderf*ckin' "pain & suffering"???? :-o

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Re: Mythbusters Sends Cannonball Rocketing Through Homes

Man - I want to see the footage from this incident - think it would be super cool.

As for the homeowner wanting to sue - piss off. From what I have read the cannonball skipped over a bunch of water barrels, went through a concrete block wall, bounced off the catchment hill and went on its merry way - freak occurrence.

I think you have confused a safe drinking limit with what I like to call 'lunch'

Re: Mythbusters Sends Cannonball Rocketing Through Homes

Oh great, another idiot who thinks he's going to use a one in a million mishap to set him up with a Bentley and a Mansion?!?

Life without meaning cannot be borne.
We find a mission to which we're sworn
- or answer the call of Death's dark horn.
Without a gleaning of purpose in life,
we have no vision, we live in strife,
- or let blood fall on a suicide knife.

Re: Mythbusters Sends Cannonball Rocketing Through Homes

ahh shit....that would be crazy to be just chilling in your house with not a care in the world and then all of a sudden a friggin cannonbal hits it! you would think WW3 just started! lol :/ i wonder how much they will sue mythbusters for...? :/